I'm Already There
by Instructor Quistis
Summary: FINISHED Squall has to go on a mission to fight another sorceress who leaked through the time compression. You'll never guess who. I suck at ratings. If you have a problom with it, let me know


1.1 Legal crap.I don't own any of the characters.Squaresoft does. Nevertheless, the storyline is all mine!  
  
1.2 I'm Already There  
  
Prologue  
  
I guess I am. At least I think so. I can do this. I can. Really, I can. No I can't, what was I thinking when I bought this thing?. I was getting ready in my mind to ask her the most important question I ever could. Imagine, me, the introverted Squall, getting ready to propose marriage to Rinoa Heartily, the only existing sorceress in this time.  
  
1.2.1 Chapter One: Putting on My dancing Shoes  
  
"Squall? Are you even listening to me?"  
  
I looked up at Rinoa and smiled. "I guess I was doing it again," I said as she gave me her best smile. But every smile was Rinoa's best. She was an angel; let me rephrase that, she was a sorceress. And she was all mine.  
  
She playfully pointed her finger at me and pretended like she was mad. "If I catch you doing it again, I just might have to.tickle you!"  
  
"Whatever." I said smiling. I knew she hated it when I said that, but this time I was actually paying attention to what she said, and she knew it. We sat in silence for a while, me piloting the Ragnarok towards Esthar. We were on one of our few 'official' dates and this one was very special. The black velvet box I had in my pocket kept reminding me why I had even asked her to come tonight. But the way to ask her wasn't very clear to me. Should I just give her the box? Should I get down on one knee? What would she expect out of me? Should I do the exact opposite of what she expects? Am I even ready for this? I don't want her to say no. Will she say yes?-  
  
"Squall!!"  
  
"Huh?" I looked over at her quickly and she pointed to the light which had turned green in the time that I had been sitting there in my own little world. Other vehicles were honking their horns at me and I quickly hit the gas pedal to go. Rinoa wasn't expecting it, because she had been sitting up, and flew to the back of her seat.  
  
"Sorry," I mumbled. I can't believe how dumb I can be sometimes. I followed the road until I came to a little restaurant. It was the spot of our first "official" date.  
  
We got out of the red bird and walked inside. A waiter quickly showed us to our table, the one in the far back, where no one could really see us, and we sat down to order. The conversation was light, at least on my end it was, Rinoa was talking about how she and Quistis saw the perfect dress for the Garden Festival in Dollet. I wasn't paying much attention to her. My mind was occupied with other things. Like the black box in my pocket.  
  
"And then we gave Zell head."  
  
"What?!" I looked at her quickly.  
  
"See, you aren't even listening to me. What do you think about when you go inside that head of yours?"  
  
"Certainly not about giving Zell." I know I blushed at the thought of Rinoa 'giving head,' but it wasn't Zell I was imagining.  
  
"Well, what are you thinking about?" She kicked me lightly in the ankle with the side of her foot.  
  
"Lots of things," I told her. Glad that she didn't know about the little velvet box in my pocket. The rest of dinner went as smooth as the rest of our dates had been; a little bumpy at times, but we had a good time. Well, at least Rinoa did. I was nervous the whole time. We went out to the beach after, and as we walked along, our feet bare and our shoes long behind and forgotten about, the black velvet box came back to mind. I stopped and watched her as she kept walking along, the waves licking her feet. It took her a moment to realize that I wasn't at her side. And when she turned around with a questioning look on her face I smiled. Walking slowly towards her I held out my hand. She took it and as I pulled her body close, something that I don't often do, (I'm afraid I'll break her), I caught the scent of her perfume. I pulled her tight against my body, my heart pounding so fast that I thought it would jump out of my chest. I hope she can't hear that. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the velvet box. She didn't see it; her eyes were locked with mine.  
  
"Rin." I breathed her name against her neck, hoping she couldn't hear the shaking in my voice. Her eyes were so beautiful, they always were, like deep beautiful pools. The moonlight was starting to affect my judgment; I was ready.wasn't I? The velvet in my hands was starting to get warm. I didn't want her to think that I was trying to avoid her hand; which was searching for mine behind my back. She gave me a questioning look.  
  
  
  
Chapter Two: Keeping My Cool  
  
"Squall, what are you. oh!" Her eyes got big as I pulled out the little box. I opened it to reveal a small silver, diamond ring.  
  
"Rinoa." I couldn't place what I wanted to say in real words. They just wouldn't come to me. I removed the ring from its velvet pillow and with shaking hands placed it on her left hand. I breathed a sigh of relief when it fit her finger; I was glad now that Quistis had insisted on coming with me to pick it out.  
  
Rinoa was looking down at her hand in disbelief. "Squall." She breathed my name and looked up at me. And I don't know how it happened. One moment we were standing there in awe of each other, and the next she was in my arms and I was kissing her for all I was worth. I have never kissed her like this before. All of our other kisses had been light, chaste kisses, and now she was in my arms, body pressed against me, mouths open. I was unbearably warm. My body felt like it was on fire, and when she brushed her fingertips against my face and neck, my nerves went wild. My hands that I had so very carefully left around her lower back and shoulders, moved with a will of their own. They slid down her back to the curve of her bottom and I stopped there for a moment, glorying in the feel of her, before I ground my hips into her. For the first time I was aroused and unable to control myself. Any other time I would have been able to walk away, but this time I couldn't. My virgin body was screaming for physical release. Rinoa melted onto my arms as I slowly slid one hand up the side of her shirt, her baby soft skin tickling my fingers. When I touched the soft rounded flesh of her breasts, I stopped. I didn't know what I was doing. I couldn't do this. I pulled away from her, leaving her lips bruised from my kisses and her as flustered as I felt.  
  
"Rinoa. I... I can't do this now," I looked down at my feet knowing that she wanted me and that I couldn't give myself to her. Not yet, I wasn't ready.  
  
"Squall, it's okay," She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. I don't know how she did, it but I could tell that she had quickly put it out of her mind. She looked down at her hand again. "Does this mean.?"  
  
I just smiled at her. I held out my hand and we started walking towards the Ragnarok and our long forgotten shoes.  
  
Chapter Three: Bad News  
  
We returned to the Garden late. Really late. It was already curfew, but of course that doesn't stop some people. Zell and Irvine were waiting for me, they already knew what I'd had planned for tonight.  
  
"So. how'd it go?" Irvine grinned, "Did she give you head?"  
  
I blushed because I knew my body hadn't cooled off enough yet and if he was actually paying attention, he'd notice.  
  
"C'mon Irvine, leave that stuff out of it," Zell turned to me. "Did she say yes?"  
  
I shrugged. "More or less." I just didn't want them to know how excited I was about the whole thing. I shoed them out of my room and stripped down to my boxers. And even though I was completely alone in my room I felt embarrassed about being visibly turned on. But I had to go to sleep. So I climbed under my blankets and closed my eyes. My dreams were filled with a blue clad angel who had kiss-swollen lips and a silver diamond ring on her left hand.  
  
I woke up in the morning in a very uncomfortable position. I had somehow turned myself upside down and had spent the night with my neck at a funny angle. But I forced myself to get out of bed and go get breakfast. I walked past the students, oblivious to their babble. And when I got to the cafeteria Rinoa was there, surrounded by Quistis, who had a knowing smile on her face, and Selphie, who was just bubbling with excitement.  
  
The rest of the group came in and when I looked at the two other guys I noticed right away that something was wrong.  
  
"Squall." Zell wasn't his usual cheery self, and even though there were hot dogs left, he made no move to get in line. "I got some bad news for ya, man." He scratched at his spiky blonde hair.  
  
The whole group, all five of us, were now listening intently to Zell. "What," I finally said, breaking the silence that had come over us.  
  
"We have a mission to go on." His voice was flat and his face was emotionless as he said it. "We, me, you, and Irvine-" He pointed to me when he said 'you',-"Are going back to Ultemecia's castle to defeat some other sorceress that escaped through the time compression. Cid is sending us three because we are the best. And he wants to make sure we all know that we might not come back."  
  
Chapter Four: Making Hard Decisions  
  
I looked over at Rinoa; her face was etched in a blank look and she shook her head. Out of instinct I reached for her.  
  
"No," She whispered. "You can't go," I wrapped my arms around her and she looked up at me, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Promise me you won't go, please?"  
  
I looked at her; helpless to tell her I wouldn't go. I was still a SeeD and it was my duty. She knew it too, just by the look on my face and she pushed me away. "You have to promise me you won't go!" She yelled at me.  
  
"I can't," I whispered, looking at the floor. I didn't look up to see where she ran to, but I think I already knew. She was in her room. I turned to look at the rest of them. No one said a word. Neither did I as I walked past them to my room.  
  
I packed my bag for the mission, the whole time thinking of Rinoa. Hyne I wish I could have promised her I wouldn't go. I wish I knew what to say to her to tell her how I feel about her, to tell her that if I don't come back. No, I refuse to even think that about this mission. I will come back, I always have before, I hope Rinoa will forgive me for going.  
  
A light knocking brought me out of my world of thought and I opened the door to see a tear streaked face before she threw herself into my arms.  
  
"You're going, aren't you?" She asked, her face pressed against the fur trim on my coat.  
  
"I have to," I said.  
  
"But I don't want you to. I want you to stay here, with me. So we can set our day and start planning things," I knew she was just making excuses so that she didn't have to say that she loved me and didn't want me to go because she was afraid. And in a way, I wanted her to make excuses; I wanted to know that she loved me too, and that she couldn't say it either.  
  
Chapter Five: The Long Good-Bye  
  
"Squall?" I looked down at her when she said my name in a small, nervous voice. Her shaking fingers reached up to touch my face. "If you're going to leave, and might not come back then." She paused and I could tell that she was really nervous about saying whatever it was she was going to say. But she didn't say anything. She licked her lips and slowly closed the door behind her. And with one hand she reached back and locked it. I took a step away from her, suddenly feeling too constricted.  
  
She reached up to the ties on her duster but before she could do anything I reached out and stopped her.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked her softly, looking straight into her eyes.  
  
"I. I want to make love to you," She said quietly. I almost didn't hear her.  
  
"Rin." I had no idea how to answer her.  
  
"I'm not. I'm not a virgin, you won't hurt me." She was looking at her feet.  
  
"Rin, you don't have to. I mean, we don't have to."  
  
"But I want to. You asked me last night to marry you and now you're going away on Cid's stupid mission. Can't someone else go? I finally got you to kiss me, I mean really kiss me, and I wanted you last night. I finally got you to lose control. But you ran away again," She wasn't yelling, but she didn't have to be to get my attention. "If you don't want me, I'll go," She turned away from me and was about to unlock the door. I still had her hand. With one quick jerk of my arm, I pulled her to me. I could feel my heart speed up and I hadn't even touched her yet.  
  
"Not want you? Hyne, Rinoa, how could any man not want you?" I kissed her again. I was losing control over my body. This time when she reached for her duster ties, I let her. It fell away to a blue heap on the floor and she stood there in her shorts and tank top, waiting for something it seemed.  
  
My hands were shaking as I reached up to trace the outline of her mouth with my fingertip. "Are you nervous?" She asked, noticing.  
  
"I've never." I didn't have to finish; she knew what I meant. We slowly undressed each other, and as I felt her baby soft skin against mine, I couldn't control it any longer. And I made love to her on my bed, on top of my bag for the mission. And I wasn't embarrassed about it afterward; I was content to hold her there in my arms, both of us naked and wrapped up in my bed sheet.  
  
  
  
Chapter Six: The Road To Armageddon  
  
It was almost midnight when I waited in the parking lot for Cid to show up and see the three of us off. It wasn't like him to be late. Rinoa was standing at my side, Selphie was crying in Irvine's arms, and Quistis was just standing next to Zell. I thought I almost saw a glimmer of something when she looked at him, but, it could have been my imagination.  
  
I turned to Rinoa, my beautiful sorceress. "I'll be back, I promise," She looked up at me with her hair falling in front of her face, and I reached down to kiss her lightly on the lips.  
  
Cid arrived then, and not ten minutes later the three of us were on our way back to Ultemecia's realm. I sat in silence the whole ride. Irvine and Zell didn't talk either. Irvine seemed genuinely upset that he had to leave Selphie, and Zell was still not his hyper self; I think I would have welcomed it if he had been. I needed something to get my mind off of the way Rinoa said my name, and how soft her skin was.  
  
"I wish I wasn't the best," I said, not realizing that I'd spoken out loud.  
  
I was surprised when I heard the two of them agree with me. I looked up. "Did I just say that out loud?" I asked them. They nodded.  
  
"Man, Selphie cried all day when she heard that I might not come back. I didn't know what to do. All I could do was hold her." Irvine's voice cracked as if he would start to cry.  
  
"Rinoa." I said her name. It felt good to say it. Like she was there, almost.  
  
Zell sighed and looked out the window. "At least you have someone to miss you, all I got is someone to miss. And she don't even know I'm alive."  
  
"Quistis," I said, not even thinking.  
  
"Yup," He sighed again. Then he turned to Irvine and me. "What's it like to be loved by someone? I mean, someone who isn't like your mother?"  
  
"It's like being kissed for the first time ever," Irvine said, his eyes looking far away, more than likely thinking about Selphie.  
  
"That doesn't help me," Zell said very quietly.  
  
"It's like. finally mastering your weapon, and you just want to go show everyone what you can do," I said. I wanted to put it in a way that Zell would understand. He was my roommate when we were cadets; I know a lot of stuff about him, and vice versa.  
  
We traveled the rest of the journey in silence, each of us thinking about something, or more specifically, someone. When I could see the castle, we stopped the transport. We would walk from here. It was two days journey on foot, but we wanted to have the element of surprise on our side.  
  
Chapter Seven: Midnight Phone Calls and Reminders in Lace  
  
We stopped for the night about three miles away from the transport. My backpack was starting to get heavy and I was glad we were stopping for the night. I had all the food and my pack would be considerably lighter after tonight. It was about midnight, when the other two were asleep that I started to hear a beeping noise from my pack. I dug through it until I found what was making the sound. It was Rinoa's portable visa phone. I flicked open the tiny screen and there she was.  
  
"Squall?" She was sitting in my room of all places, and I'd bet 10 gil that she was using my phone.  
  
"Rinoa? I reached out to touch the screen, remembering too late that I couldn't touch her. "I think I'm dreaming."  
  
"If you are then I must be having the same dream. I thought I'd just dropped it in your room and I used your phone to call my number so I could find it. But you have it."  
  
"I'm glad I have it." I said, looking at the LED display screen where her face was. She looked like she had been crying again. I wanted to touch her face, to hold her and tell her I would be all right. But I couldn't. And I don't know how long we sat there, each of us with one hand on the screen, wishing we could touch the other, before the batteries on her portable went out and I was left holding a blank screen. And as I slowly placed her phone back in my bag, a piece of blue lace caught my eye. I picked it up and recognized it as the bra that she had been wearing that day. How it got there, I have no idea. It still smelled like her perfume, and I closed my eyes and remembered the baby soft texture of her breasts against my hands as I removed it from her. I closed my eyes and carefully placed the lace in my bag and lay down.  
  
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We woke in the morning and as soon as we had the camp packed up we started out. We walked all day, not encountering anything. The land was completely barren of all life. And by the time we were ready to set camp for the last time before we went to face the sorceress, it was nightfall again. The three of us said nothing as we set camp, or as we ate our food, and went to sleep. I awoke before the other two, watching the sunrise, maybe for the last time. I thought of Rinoa, how she would miss me if I didn't come back. I never even noticed when Irvine and Zell came up behind me.  
  
"Squall," Irvine reached out and touched my shoulder; I jumped with surprise and turned around. "It's time." He said solemnly.  
  
I nodded and we all turned together to face what lay ahead of us.  
  
Chapter Eight: The Battle  
  
We stood outside the very same door we had stood in front of before the battle of Ultemecia. But this time there were only three of us, and we had to defeat her. It wasn't the same sorceress, but I knew, and the other two did too, that this was not going to be easy. We stopped for a moment and looked at each other. I pulled of my gloves and extended a hand to first Zell, and then Irvine.  
  
"If I don't make it back, promise me you'll look after Rinoa," I looked directly at Zell. He was the closest thing I ever had to a best friend, and then I looked at Irvine. "And you're one hell of a guy, Kinneas, I hope you and Selphie make it okay," I looked at Zell, silently saying to him what I knew he would never want me to say out loud. Good luck with Quistis man. We all nodded to each other and opened the door. What I saw sitting there in what was once the throne of Ultemecia hit me straight in the stomach.  
  
The kid was probably eight or so. He looked just like I had at that age. The boy looked at me. "Dad? What are you doing here? I thought you and Mom were dead," The kid looked just like I did when I was younger. And he ran up to me and threw his arms around me. "If I knew you were still here I woulda never done it, I promise I wouldn'ta. But you and Mom were gone. I broke my promise to her; tell her I'm sorry." He looked up at me and I noticed that he had Rinoa's eyes. And on his neck was a familiar chain and pendant. I reached down to touch his head, but before I did I looked back at Zell and Irvine. They were looking at me as if I was crazy.  
  
"Squall, who are you talking to?" Zell looked as if he were worried. I turned back to the child in front of me and did a double take. There was no child, there was no pendant, all there was, was a piece of familiar blue cloth.  
  
"No one. I guess." I looked around again. The piece of blue cloth was followed by another, it seemed so familiar. I followed them, picking up the pieces as we went, the other two stayed close behind me.  
  
"I always knew you were a sentimental fool," I turned to the sound of the voice, and there, staring back at me, sitting on a throne of red satin, was Rinoa. She was dressed in all black, her dress slit down in a deep v-neck that she never would have worn. She was shredding a very familiar piece of blue cloth.  
  
"Rin..?" I looked at her again.  
  
"Yep, it's me, lover. It's payback time."  
  
"For what?" Irvine drawled, his southern accent really coming out in his confusion.  
  
"You left me for that mission, remember? You never came back. I was forced to raise our son alone."  
  
"Son?" Zell looked at me funny.  
  
"Well, I guess he really was secretive. We made love the day that he left. I found out three weeks later that I was pregnant. He should have been back by then." She turned to me. "Do you hear me, you jerk!!!? You should have been back!" She raised her hand and hurled a bolt of lightning straight at me. My world went black.  
  
  
  
Chapter Nine: My Lover, My Enemy  
  
I opened my eyes to see the floor lying beneath me. I heard what sounded like battle, but they wouldn't, not Rinoa, would they? I sat up groggily and pulled out my gunblade, and turned around to face the battle. Rinoa was standing on her throne now, raining fireballs and hurricanes down on my friends. I turned to face her as Zell hit the floor.  
  
"Squall? You can't fight me. You love me, remember?" She laughed a little and pointed her finger at me. I raised my gunblade, closed my eyes, and charged. I felt the metal hit her, heard her scream of pain. And in that instant I knew I would never be able to look at Rinoa the same. I had hurt her, maybe not her now, but it was still her.  
  
She was laying at the foot of the throne, bleeding from a wide gash on her torso, a gash that I had made. I heard the faint clink of metal and briefly wondered what it was before I realized I had dropped my gunblade. I walked, not even realizing that I was still hurt, to her side and kneeled down.  
  
"Rin." I whispered her name and lifted her face so I could see her, her heavy makeup and revealing clothing had not taken anything away from her beauty and I brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. She opened her eyes and looked at me.  
  
"Squall. why didn't you kill me? It was your job, you were trained to kill the sorceress, you have to, before I do something worse than I already have." She coughed a little and blood came up to her lips. "Please Squall, if you don't kill me. I have to kill you, and then you'll never return to me. I'm still waiting for you. at Garden. Don't let me turn into. this. Please." She coughed again and I realized that this was the real Rinoa, that she had allowed someone to take over her body after I left, and didn't return.  
  
So this was really my fault. I had to kill her, so I could come back to her, and so that she wouldn't turn out this way.  
  
"Squall," I heard Irvine's twangy accent and looked over. He shook his head at me. "You can't, man. She's Rinoa." I looked away from him and back to her, the part of this evil sorceress that was my angel, my Rinoa, gave me a pleading look, begging me to end her life and take her out of the hell she was in.  
  
"Squall." She whispered my name so softly I almost couldn't hear her. I picked up my gunblade, which was lying close by. I closed my eyes again, and raised it, letting it drop with a heart sickening plsht.  
  
Author's note: plsht is the sound the blade made when he hit her  
  
  
  
Chapter Ten: Coming Home  
  
I don't know how long I sat there, holding her body to me as I cried over what I'd done. Irvine and Zell had let me be alone with her, I cradled her face in my hands, wiping away all the garish black makeup and wrapping the blue cloth she had been shredding, that was once her duster around her. I covered her with the satin from her throne, and because I couldn't bury her, I left her there. The three of us started our long journey home.  
  
I didn't speak to them the entire way. I wasn't angry with them, I just wanted to be alone, and since that wasn't a possibility, I just didn't speak. My mood must have been contagious; the other two hardly said two words. I followed behind them, staring at the heels of Irvine's boots and the red sneakers that Zell was so proud of.  
  
We walked into the Garden's main entrance, and the only reason that I even noticed was because I heard her voice. Rinoa called my name and ran over to see me. I almost cried, physically let tears stream down my face again, in my joy to see her. She wasn't dead; she was here, alive, and in my arms. There would be a party of course. and she was going on about how she'd picked out he perfect dress and. I must admit, I wasn't really listening to her, just silently telling her in my mind that I loved her. She kept talking, eventually poking me in the ribs.  
  
"Squall, are you even listening to me? I asked you three times if you were okay and you just looked at me like you were dumb."  
  
I looked at her again; we were all the way over by my dorm. "You didn't hurt me that bad," I said, quickly wishing that I hadn't said that. I hadn't intended on her ever knowing about the battle between us.  
  
"What?" She stopped and looked at me really weird.  
  
"Nothing, I'm just tired. I think I'm going to take a nap before the party," I reached up and brushed a finger over her lips, remembering the last time I had kissed her. I pulled her in close and inhaled her scent. I brushed my lips against hers before kissing her fully on the mouth. She opened up to me and I held her there, not caring if people stared at us as they passed. But I let her go a moment later and opened the door to my dorm. She followed me in, and we lay down on my bed together, I fell asleep with my head in her lap and my arm curled around her possessively.  
  
Chapter Eleven: Bad Dreams and True Confessions  
  
I dreamed that she was there, in my arms again, this time it was Rinoa from now, my angel sorceress, and she was bleeding from a gash on her torso that I had inflicted. It was all my fault, she was going to die, and I was powerless to stop it. Zell and Irvine were there, yelling, screaming at me that it was all my fault. That I killed her and that I was gonna have to leave the Garden because if I didn't they would kill me..  
  
I woke up in a cold sweat. Rinoa was shaking me, saying my name, and crying.  
  
"Squall, wake up, please, you're having a bad dream. You have to wake up!!" She sounded scared and my eyes flew open to meet hers. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw her, alive, and worried about me.  
  
"Are you okay?" She whispered, touching my face lightly with her fingertips; I blinked at her and reached up to kiss her lightly when someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Uh, Squall?" It was Zell, "It's time for the party," I heard him turn and leave, and was grateful for his discretion. I looked over at Rinoa again; she was sitting on my bed.  
  
"I guess I should go and let you get dressed. I'll see you at the party." She slid to the floor and walked quietly out of my room. I got dressed in my uniform.  
  
The party was as they always were; they announce the hero's name and everyone ohh's and ahh's, and then I find a quiet corner to hide for the rest of the time.  
  
She always knows where I am, I know she does because as soon as the first slow song was playing she appeared, pulled me out onto the floor and held me close. It reminded me of the first time we ever met, but this time I knew what I was doing. We danced for a while; I surprised her a little when I showed her I had taken the time to have Quistis teach me a few dances. And when I thought that I had finally forgotten about the battle, Rinoa came over to me without her duster, it was n her hands, and she was holding it up in front of her to show me the long rip down the center of it.  
  
I couldn't breathe. She asked me what was wrong, but I just backed away from her as fast as I could. I ran to the only area that I knew wouldn't be occupied at this time: the secret area in the Training Center. I leaned against the wall, put my hands to my face and let my body slide to the floor.  
  
A moment later I heard her footsteps. She'd been wearing heels tonight and their snick snick against the hard metal floor gave her away. She kneeled down and placed her arms around me.  
  
"Squall? What's the matter? Why did you run away?"  
  
"It was my fault, I didn't come back.. and you.. turned.. I had to."  
  
"What are you talking about? What's your fault?" She pushed my shoulders up and I winced from the pain that shot through me. I should have gone to the infirmary to have the damage from her bolt repaired, it wasn't really anything a hi-potion or two wouldn't fix.  
  
I looked at her, wishing I knew how to tell her what I'd done to who she would have became if I hadn't come back.  
  
"The sorceress."  
  
"What about her? You killed her right? She isn't a threat anymore?"  
  
"Yes, but. she was. you." I whispered the last word so softly that I wasn't even sure if she heard me. She stared at me in silence and what I assumed was shock for at least five minutes before saying anything.  
  
"Me? How..?"  
  
"I never came back from the mission."  
  
"Yes you did, you're right here."  
  
"In her time I didn't. She killed me in her time, for revenge when I didn't come back. but the part of her that was still you begged me." I took a deep ragged breath, hating the way I shook when I did so. "You begged me to kill you.so I could come back, and so that it wouldn't happen again.so you wouldn't have to raise him alone."  
  
She looked at me in confusion. "Raise who?"  
  
"Our son. Rinoa."  
  
"Son? What son? We don't have a son. I don't even know if you want kids. we never talked about it before you left. you're confusing me..."  
  
"Rinoa. she... you told me. that you found out. you're pregnant." I said the last part as gently as I could. I've never been good with words. but I wish I knew how to tell her. Her jaw dropped and she placed a hand protectively over her stomach in complete awe.  
  
"I told you. the me from then. told you that I was."  
  
I nodded and looked away. wishing that I had never gone on the mission.. that I'd never had to know what would have happened if I hadn't come back, wishing I never had to hurt her, whether it was her from now, or her from then, she was still my angel sorceress.  
  
Chapter Twelve: Putting the Pieces Back Together  
  
She threw her arms around me and again I winced from the pain that shot through my body.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You threw a bolt at me."  
  
She lifted up the edge of my SeeD uniform to see what the damage was and I saw her eyes widen. "You should have this taken care of," She cast a simple cure spell on me and as the wound closed itself, she leaned in to kiss me.  
  
"First you ask me to marry you. and now." she took my hand and placed it on her stomach, and even though I knew that the child that was growing in there wouldn't be detectable for at least another month.. a thrill went through me.  
  
She walked me back to my room. I opened the door and as soon as I walked in I felt the sudden urge not to let her leave me.  
  
"Will you stay with me tonight?"  
  
She looked a little surprised, but ten minutes later we were curled together on my bed. She was wearing a pair of my pajamas and I must admit, they never looked better.  
  
I woke up in the morning with her face pressed against my chest, her entire body almost carelessly wrapped around mine. I didn't move until a hesitant knock resounded around the door.  
  
"Squall? It's me, Irvine. Uh... Cid wants the report from the mission. Do you want to give it to him or should I?"  
  
At the sound of another voice, Rinoa looked up at me groggily. "You give it to him." I said through my closed door.  
  
"Who is that?" Rinoa rubbed the sleep away.  
  
"Irvine," I said as she climbed out of my bed and let me get up to stretch. "I'm going to take a shower," As if I needed to make an excuse for going into my own bathroom, but I did need to take one. I showered quickly and as soon as I was out I saw that she wasn't there. But there was a note on the bed telling me that she had gone to her own room to take a shower and she would meet me in the cafeteria for breakfast. I smiled as I read, glad to know that even though I had hurt her. she loved me, and she wasn't going to leave me. I wasn't all alone again. If I called to her... she would come.  
  
Chapter Thirteen: Happy Sappy Endings  
  
On the day of my wedding I sat in the same room with Zell and Irvine. They were laughing about a lot of stuff. But my mind was occupied with other things. Rinoa was almost three months pregnant now, and I had to say that mother hood went with her so well. She shared my room now, but last night she had stayed in Quistis' room, something about it being bad luck for me to see her before the wedding. I don't know, I've never been good about traditions like that.  
  
I had put the situation with the Rinoa from the unsure future behind me. Shortly after I had returned from the mission and Rinoa and I had announced our wedding day, Cid had announced his retirement and his replacement. Me. I wasn't upset about it. I was actually happy. It meant that I wouldn't have to go on missions anymore, and the first things I had done was to grant Quistis an instructor job ( something a little different than last time), Zell a kick boxing trainer for the students, Irvine was head of security and Selphie was, well, you could say that she was my personal secretary and the official budgeter for the entire Garden. I almost dreaded what she had in mind for the Garden Festival now that she had all the funds at her command.  
  
But as I took my place by the alter and stood there nervously waiting for her to arrive, I felt comforted to know that I would be spending the rest of my life with the woman who I loved, the woman who got me to open up and let the world in. And as she walked down the aisle towards me, my heart sped up and I realized one thing. There would be no point in me dying and going to heaven. I was already there. My angel and I had the entire world; she was my sun, I was her moon, and soon enough we have our own little piece of heaven to hold in our arms.  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
I watched as my wife and son slept on the floor of our room in the Garden. It was only four years ago today that I waited patiently at a red light, trying to get up the nerve to ask her to be my wife. So much has changed since then. Irvine had married Selphie a year after Rinoa and I. And Zell was marrying Quistis in two days. Rinoa looked up at me from her spot on the floor, she'd only pretended to be asleep so she could catch me watching her. And as she got up so very carefully so she wouldn't wake up Skylar she walked over to sit with me and watch the sun set. 


End file.
